Nanotechnologies

2. What is the current state of nanoscience and nanotechnology?

Current knowledge of science at the
nanoscale comes from
developments in disciplines such as chemistry, physics, life
sciences, medicine and engineering. There are several areas in
which nanoscale structures are under active development or
already in practical use:

In materials science,
nanoparticles allow for
the making of products with mechanical properties very different
from those of conventional materials and can also improve
surfaces by adding new friction, wear or adhesion properties.

In biology and medicine, a
greater understanding of the functioning of
molecules and of the
origin of diseases on the
nanometre scale has
lead to improvements in drug design and targeting.
Nanomaterials are
also being developed for analytical and instrumental
applications, including
tissue engineering and
imaging.

A wide variety of
nanoscale materials and
coatings are already in use in consumer
products such as cosmetics and sunscreens, fibres and
textiles, dyes, and paints.

The smallest components of a computer chip are on a
nanoscale. Credit: NanoPrism Technologies, Inc.

The constant drive towards miniaturization in
electronic engineering has led to devices
that are well within the
nanometre range. Data
storage devices based on
nanostructures provide
smaller, faster, and lower consumption systems.

Optical devices have also benefited from this
trend and new types of microscopes have been invented, that can
produce images of atomic
and molecular processes at
surfaces.
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